Adjustable pitman



Oct 4, 1938. w. H. SPIRE ADJUSTABLE PITMAN Original Filed March 19, 1936 WILLIAM HSPIRE, DEcb, BY, IRENE DSPmE, a ITRI)! Patented Oct. 4, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v ADJUSTABLE- PITMAN Original application March 19, 1936, Serial .No.

69,745. Divided .and this application January 11, 1937, Serial No. 119,988 I i 8 Claims;

This application is a division of application, Serial No. 69,745, filed on March 19, 1936, and entitled Hydraulic force multiplying machine.

This invention relates particularly toan adjustable pitman or linkage, and it is described in the above-mentioned copending application as means to permit the ready adjustment of the effective length of a reoiprocable clamp operator to compensate for the wear of removable inserts in of the jaws of the clamp.

In the present application the invention is also described in connection with a clamp, but it is obvious that it is capable of use in other use associations.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a pitman withlinkagemeans carried by the pitman to vary the efiective length of its stroke.

It is also an object of this invention .to provide a linkage or pitman with resilient means adjustable as ,to its positionin the linkage to carry load on the up or down strokes, respectively, of the pitman.

It .is'also an object of thiszinventionto provide apitman with adjustable crank means connected tozthe pitman and interposed between the pitman and a work element operable by the pitman.

Other and further important objects will appear hereinafter.

Figure 1 is .a side elevational view. of a hy-' draulic machine with parts inplan, parts in section, and parts broken. 1 I

Figure 2 is a side elevationalyiew of link adjusting means for the machine of Figure 1; with parts in section, parts inplan and parts broken;

Figures Sand 4 are diagrammaticishowings-of modifications in the connection of the'compon-I cuts of the means of Figure 2. 1 r

Figure 5 is a detail view of apart of the means of. Figure 4, with parts in plan and parts broken.

In Figure 1 there is shown a hydraulic clamp actuating device indicated generallyby the numerals l0. 'Ihe'device is the operator of a clamp in which the jaws arecapable of being widely separated to permit the ready insertion or removal of the thing clamped. A clampl I is connected to the actuating device It), and the clamp comprises a stationary lower jaw l2 and a hinged upper jaw I3, both of which are suitably mounted on a frame I4.

The clamp H is adapted to clamp a rod I5, between the jaws thereof, and the jaws are provided with removable inserts l6 having a working face of a desired shapeand material'to en'- gage the rod l5.

When the clamp is used in connection with an electrical metal gathering machine the clamp is oneterminal of an electric circuit, and current flows from the inserts Hi to the rod l5 as the rod isbeing pushed through the clamp towards an anvil which is the other terminal of the circuit.

vThe inserts are usually of copper, and the rod of--steel,.and theinserts become Worn as the rod is, pushed through them.

It has heretofore been necessary to place shims behind the inserts Hi to compensate for Wear. New inserts are not always machined so accurately as to make them truly interchangeable, and shims had to be employed thus necessitating the servicesof a skilled fitter.

To eliminate shims, and the skilled labor necessary in placing and adjusting them, the means oi the presentinvention were conceived so that the wear of the inserts l6 could be quickly compensated for'bythe. operator of the metal gathering machine without having to put the machine out of production for the hitherto time-consuming job of fitting-shims. u 7 Q r The clamp actuating device includes a pair of pistons I1 and i8 which are coupled together by suitable link means and to a roller 59 which travelsin aguideway 20. The roller I9 is coupled by a link means .2! to a second roller 22 which also travels in t-the guideway 20, to impart force to alink or pitman 23 which is pivotally connected atits upper end, as at 24,to the roller 22, andis pivotally connected at. its lower end, as at 2,5,qtothe hinged 'jaw 13, of the clamp l i.

{Ihe pistons I1 and .18, reciprocate in cylinders 2,6;xand 21,; respectively, formed in a cylinder block 28, and the cylinders 25 and 21, are con nected to pipes 29 and 30, respectively, which become,alternately, pressure-and suction lines of. a hydraulic system sothat one cylinder is con-- nected to the pressure side of the system when theother-is connected to the suction side of the system. I I

The wear-compensating means, indicated generally-by the numerals 3|, are connected between the pivotal connections 24'and 25 shown in Figure 1.

\ 'A'crank 32 is pivotally connected to the clamp jaw l3 at 25, and a link 23 is pivotally connected to the crank at 34 and to the link. 2| at the point 24.

i The point 24 is, of course, also the point at which the link or pitman 23 is pivotally connected to the roller 22.

A coiled spring 35 extendsbetween the points and 25 and is connected to the link 2| and to the jaw l3, respectively, at these points.

A rod 36 is pivotally connected to the link 23, as at 31, and the free end of the rod 36 is threaded and is provided with a threaded nut 38 thereon. The inclined and free arm 39 of the crank 32 is provided with a bifurcated and curved end portion 48 which seats in a curved recess 4| of a bearing block 42 slidably mounted on the rod 36,

and the block 42 is forced against the nut 38 by the free end 40 of the crank 32. The rear face of the bearing block 42, and the forward face of the nut '38, is each provided with teeth or corrugations 43 to prevent the accidental turning of the nut 38. n

The spring 35 is of such a length that it exerts a pull at all times to take up back lash and to hold the curved end 48 of the crank 32 against the bearing block 42.

When the distance between the points 24 and 25, of Figure 1, should be increased to compensate for the wear of the inserts l6, the nut 38 is turned to force the arm 39 of the crank 32 towards the left, and the crank 32 and the link 33 beingrelatively movable about the point 34, the point 25 is forced down against the pull of the spring 35. Y r 5 To decrease the distance between the points 24 and 25, as when a new insert l6 has been fitted in the jaw I3, the nut 38 is turned to move the arm- 39 towards the right under the influence of the spring 35. 1

For the type of service already indicated, that of adjusting the effective length of the link connecting the points 24 and 25 of a clamp electrode operator, the link system 3| is devised to be in compression 'under heavy pressure and to be in tension only for such loads or pressures as are well within the capacity of-thespring 35.

Should it be desired to accommodate the link 7 end to the end of the crank 32 as at 44, Figure 3,

, art.

and the lower end of the spring 35 and the jaw l3 are connected to the crank as at 45, (pivot point 25). Should it be desired to accommodate the link adjusting system to conditions in which the load is equal in compression andin tension, the link 23 is then connected to the crank 32 as at 34, Figure 4, but the spring 35 is removed, and the arm 39 is now pivotally'connected to a bearing block 46 which is connected to the nut 38 for movement therewith, as-is shown'in Figure 5. The nut 38 is provided with an extension in the form'of a sleeve 41 which is threaded into the nut atone end and locked thereto by a pin 48' entered in aligned side bores in the nut and sleeve. The sleeve 41 is provided at its other end with an upstanding flange 49, which-abuts the bearingblock 46; The bearing block-46 is mounted revolvable on the sleeve, and it is provided with a pair of outstanding and oppositely directed lugs 50 which are entered in apertures in the end of thecrank arm 39. It will be evident that when the nut and its sleeve are turned on the rod 36 the'arm 39 will move in synchronism with the nut.

Being aware that many changesmay be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of the invention, it is there- 1 fore not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior What is claimed is: r 1. A first reciprocable member, a second reciprocable member, a lever pivotally connected to said second member, a rigid link pivotally connected atone end to said first member and at its other end to said lever, and means connecting said link andsaid 'lever'adjustable to vary members, means to-vary the effective lengthof said link, said means comprising a lever pivotally connected to said link and to said second member, and means adjustably connecting an end of said lever to said link at a point between the ends ofsaidlinkp, I

4. A first reciprocable member, a second reciprocable member, a bell prank pivotally connected to said second member, a pitman pivotally connected to said first member and to said crank, spring means in tension connecting-said first and said second reciprocable members, and means adjustably connecting an arm of saidcrank to said pitman at a point between ,the ends' of said pitman. U M

5. Aifirst reciprocable member, a secondreciprocable member, a bell crank pivotally con= nected to said secondmember to present a, single bent arm swingable about the pivotalconnecti'on, a pitman pivotally connectedto saidfirstmemher and also connected to said crank at a point on its bent arm, a spring in tension connecting said first and'said second reciprocable members, and means adjustablyconnecting said crank arm to said pitman. r

6. A first reciprocable member, a second reciprocable member, a bell crank pivotally connected to saidsecond member to presenta pair of arms swingable about the pivotal connection, a pitman pivotally connected to :said first member and also pivotally connected -z-to one arm of said crank, adjustable means connecting said pitman to 'theother arm of said crank,-an'd a spring in tension connecting said first and said second reciprocable members;

'7. A first, reciprocable member, a second reciprocable member, a bell crank pivotally connected to said second member to present-a bent lever swin'gable aboutthe pivotal connection, a pitman pivotally connected to said first member and to said bent arm, and adjustable-means connecting saidpitman to' he free end'of said bent lever. l

8. In a machine having a'reciprocable thrust element and a'work element of a clamp movably connected with said thrust element, a first reciprocable member, a rigid link pivoted at one end to said first member, a bell crank'pivoted on the other endof said rigid link, a-member pivoted on said rigid link intermediate the ends of said link and adjustably connecting. saidlink with an end of said bell crank, and a secondreciprocable member pivotally connected to said bell crank,

IRENErD. 'SPIRE, Administratria: of the Estate of William H. Spire;

Deceased. l 

